Preview: Currie Cup, Round Four

Several teams will be looking for revenge on Saturday as they face the same adversaries which defeated them just two weeks ago.

Several teams will be looking for revenge on Saturday as they face the same adversaries which beat them just two weeks ago in the Currie Cup.

Western Province are still setting the pace at the top of the table but the defending champions, the Sharks - who face the Pumas on Friday - are just a point adrift of the men from the Cape in the standings.

WP, who along with the Sharks are the two unbeaten teams in the competition, head to Pretoria for their return fixture with the Blue Bulls.

Elsewhere Griquas host close neighbours the Free State Cheetahs in Kimberley in the early game of the round, and in Port Elizabeth, tournament newbies the Eastern Province Kings face the Golden Lions.

Several of the players in these two sides were part of the Cheetahs' Super Rugby squad just a couple of months ago. Friendships forged during that tournament will, however, be put aside as they go in search of victory.

Two weeks ago, the Free State Cheetahs got their campaign on track thanks to a 34-27 victory in a high-paced derby in the corresponding fixture in Bloemfontein.

Griquas get a chance to turn the tables in their own backyard. They are yet to win a game this year and despite losing to the Pumas last weekend they go into this encounter with an unchanged side.

Griquas coach Hawies Fourie - who was also the Cheetahs' back-line coach during Super Rugby - emphasised the importance of this fixture.

"We want to progress to the knockout stages and not just play well to make sure we don't play in next year's qualifiers," he said.

"If we are to keep that dream alive we need to beat the Cheetahs.

"This week we looked at our lineouts, something that was very poor against the Pumas. The Cheetahs have a good lineout and use it as an attacking platform. We have to be mindful of that."

The Cheetahs were unlucky to lose against the Sharks last weekend, as they held the lead in that clash for large periods.

Their coach Rory Duncan has kept faith with the team that did duty against the champions. He expects an improved result this weekend but knows his charges will have to work hard against their neighbours.

"We made some mistakes against the Sharks - it is a sign of a new team - but we need to rectify those against Griquas," said Duncan.

"They are going to be a hard nut to crack at home," Duncan said.

Prediction: As visitors last weekend, the Cheetahs came agonisingly close to beating the Sharks. They will not suffer the same fate twice. Cheetahs to win by seven points!

The tournament's two most successful unions head into this clash with at opposite ends of the table.

WP have delivered several superb performances - including their 41-17 triumph over the Bulls in Cape Town in Round Two - and are in pole position in the standings while their hosts only climbed off the foot of the ladder thanks to a narrow win over the EP Kings last weekend.

The home side know they face an uphill battle against the form team in the competition but their coach Frans Ludeke is confident that the Blue Bulls could continue their winning form at Loftus Versfeld.

"No doubt that WP is playing very well and outplayed us in Cape Town a couple of weeks back, but we have turned the corner since then, I believe," he said.

"We will be up against it, but there is no reason why we cannot be very competitive," Ludeke said.

"We have an experienced pack that will hold their own and the new faces in the backs are all full of attacking potential."

WP have played an enterprising brand of rugby this season and have reaped the rewards. They have complimented the experience of international players like captain Juan de Jongh, Pat Cilliers and Manuel Carizza with exciting youngsters like Seabelo Senatla, Stephan Coetzee and Cheslin Kolbe.

This makes them a dangerous attacking unit but they have not neglected their defensive skills as illustrated in their win over the Golden Lions in Cape Town in the previous round.

Despite their fine start, and previous win over the Bulls, their coach Allister Coetzee is not underestimating their opponents and is planning to make full use of his entire matchday squad.

"We're playing at altitude this week and that can be quite testing," he said.

"It will be good to call on reserves that you can rely on for impact later in the match," he said.

"When you're playing the Bulls at Loftus, you need the efforts of all in a 22-man squad so that you are giving yourself a good chance of winning the game.

"We have some great impact players like Ruan Botha and Rynhardt Elstadt on the bench this week."

Prediction: Despite last weekend's win the Blue Bulls will battle in their own backyard. WP to win by 12 points!